The present invention generally relates to ovens, and more particularly to an oven that functions both as a rotisserie oven and a convection oven.
Ovens that have both rotisserie and convection cooking features are known. These ovens typically include a rotating spit and a heating element for rotisserie cooking, and a fan for circulating hot air within the oven to facilitate convection cooking, in conjunction with or independently of rotisserie cooking. The ovens may have a dedicated heating element for rotisserie cooking and a separate heating element for convection cooking, or they may employ the same heating element for both rotisserie and convection cooking. Typically, though, the known ovens generally have a rectangular shaped cooking chamber and a fan located either on the top or the back of the cooking chamber. These arrangements generally do not allow airflow to closely travel around or surround the food item, and also creates xe2x80x9cdead zones,xe2x80x9d particularly in the corners where airflow is restricted, resulting in temperature and airflow variations in the cooking chamber. Thus, desired uniform cooking is difficult to attain in these ovens.
Another feature that is common to known ovens is a stationary heating element. Typically, the heating element(s) is located in the cooking chamber at a location generally above the food. While this arrangement may be useful in the type of cooking where direct radiant heat source is required, as in broiling or roasting, for example, it is not ideal for baking, in which direct radiant heat is generally not desirable.
The present invention is directed to a combined rotisserie and convection oven which includes a cooking chamber having a first end and a second end. A fan is in fluid communication with the cooking chamber for creating an airflow in the cooking chamber, and a removable spit is rotatably suspended between the first and second ends of the cooking chamber. A heating element for providing the cooking temperature is provided in the cooking chamber, and is movable to a plurality of positions within the cooking chamber.